Nana's Birthday Party [Hardcover]

Amy Hest (Author), Amy Schwartz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Every year, Nana throws herself a grand birthday party, with relatives from all over the city and her special birthday rules tacked to the door: NO JEANS, NO Gum, and NO PRESENTS, EXCEPT THE KIND YOU MAKE YOURSELF. Best of all, Maggie and her cousin Brette have a sleepover at Nana's the night before.

This year, Maggie is determined to make something special for Nana -- far more special, she hopes, than Brette's gorgeous paintings, the ones that hang in real frames over Nana's fireplace.

Amy Hest and Amy Schwartz are the author and illustrator of The Crackof-Dawn Walkers, The Purple Coat, and Fancy Aunt Jess -- warm and funny stories about families. In their latest collaboration, readers will meet two spirited cousins and their irrepressible grandmother on the eve of the most memorable birthday party ever.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hest and Schwartz, whose past collaborations include The Purple Coat and Fancy Aunt Jess , here present the endearing tale of two cousins preparing for the birthday party their grandmother throws for herself every year. Maggie and Brette spend the night before the fete at Nana's Manhattan apartment, which Schwartz creatively decorates with a dazzling panoply of intricately patterned fabrics, wall coverings and rugs. After the dynamic Nana hangs streamers from the ceiling, she and her granddaughters curl up on the couch to look at old family photos, each of which, says Nana, "tells a story." And then, rather than make individual presents that compete for Nana's attention, the cousins share their particular talents and make a special joint gift. Hest peppers her narrative with inviting particulars, including the "birthday rules" Nana tacks on her door. Equally entertaining are Schwartz's vividly detailed pictures, which capture the distinct personalities of the two girls. One quibble: after all the anticipation and buildup (not to mention the title), youngsters may be disappointed when the story ends before Nana's party. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Nana throws herself a birthday party, and her two granddaughters, Maggie and Brette, always spend the night before the event at her grand Manhattan apartment. Besides helping to bake a cake, decorate the spacious living room with streamers and balloons, and looking at old photos, the girls agonize over their special gifts for their grandmother, gifts that she insists must be handmade. Maggie, the narrator, is a writer; Brette is a painter. Both feel that the other gives better gifts. The story comes to a smooth and logical conclusion when the children collaborate on a book inspired by one of Nana's black-and-white photographs. A solid, old-fashioned sense of family is captured in the text. The colorful precision of Schwartz's detailed drawings adds life and vigor to each scene. The elderly woman's character is revealed through the lively abstract and floral patterns that dominate her apartment. This book, with its emphasis on happy, creative, homespun experiences, will strike a chord in many readers young and old.
Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 16, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688074979
• ISBN-13: 978-0688074975
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,517,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Hest's many acclaimed children's books include the New York Times bestseller Kiss Good Night. A three-time winner of the prestigious Christopher Award, she lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy Birthday Nana!, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nana's Birthday Party (Library Binding)

A wonderfully evocative setting, cousin rivalry, and a Nana who knows what she wants... "Nana's Birthday Party" is brought to life with some of the best picture book writing and most delightful illustrations I've seen. This story will make many, many adult bedtime story readers remember similar stories of their own. A most enjoyable way to end the night.